Keeping the Aba Aba Knifefish
Every spring pet shops around the world receive very young, very fragile Aba Abas. We have all seen them either in person or in pictures. They have an unwarranted reputation as blood thirsty monsters capable of tearing chunks out of crocodiles and humans alike. I am not an expert on these fish but have read everything I could find on them and have successfully kept one for two years. The focus on this article is to discuss the care and housing of this often misunderstood species.
Aba Abas are found in shallow, swampy and well vegetated areas of the Nile, Chad, Volta, Senegal and Niger River basins. They have been known to grow to over five feet in the wild, but specimens over forty inches in captivity are rare.
Young Aba Abas (under 18) are very shy and delicate creatures. These should be housed alone in bare bottomed tanks with ample filtration. I housed my 6 one in a 75 gallon tank with 2 Emperor 400 filters, a sponge filter and a UV sterilizer. I did a 25% water change twice weekly. The tank had no substrate and one half of the tank was covered in fake plants and live Anacharis. The other half was left open.
I believe the most important factor in keeping young Aba Abas alive is to not stress them. I recommend putting their tank in a room with very little activity. Consistent 78-80 degree water seems to work well. I also believe firmly in not using a light on the tank unless you are cleaning it. These fish live in dark, murky environments and bright light is unnatural for them.
Some keepers have successfully housed them in very crowded aggressive community tanks. I have no experience keeping fish in this fashion so I cannot comment or provide educated feedback on this style of keeping them.
Young ones can eat small feeder fish, chunks of fish and shrimp, pellets, assorted worms and plant material. Mine still eats Anacharis regularly. They will eat daily and get really hungry at night. Mine will take pieces of fish from my hand every night at about 11:00 pm. He ignores me during the day but at feeding time he goes to the same spot and waits for his food.
Young ones, if fed properly can grow 1 per month up until they are around 18 long. At this point growth slows and they seem to get more territorial. Mine will kill feeder fish that he does not want to eat, presumably out of territoriality.
As they grow they need a tank large enough for them to patrol. My 24 specimen is housed in a 96 X 36 X 24 tank, that he may eventually outgrow. The tank is planted and contains a few rocks and a piece of PVC as a hide.
I feed mine fish or shrimp daily unless I give him feeders. I will then let him wait 2 or 3 days to digest the large meal. There is always Anacharis in the tank to tide him over between feedings.
The Aba Aba is the only fish I have ever known to get bored. He will get destructive, seemingly as a way to amuse himself. I noticed this when he was very young. He would re-arrange the tank regularly. Now he just destroys anything and everything. I eventually had to remove the sponge filter as he shredded it overnight.
I suppose these behaviors are a sign of intelligence. Mine will hide from people he does not know by hiding one eye behind a leaf. This must be the old If I cant see you, you cant see me logic. Mine recently figured out how to eat the Apple Snail that was in the tank with him. I am not likely to introduce another snail into the tank.
I am happy to answer questions to the best of my ability regarding these fish. I must say that large, aggressive fish that require their own, unlit tank are not for everyone. These fish can be fascinating and mysterious and I will likely always keep one.
Every spring pet shops around the world receive very young, very fragile Aba Abas. We have all seen them either in person or in pictures. They have an unwarranted reputation as blood thirsty monsters capable of tearing chunks out of crocodiles and humans alike. I am not an expert on these fish but have read everything I could find on them and have successfully kept one for two years. The focus on this article is to discuss the care and housing of this often misunderstood species.
Aba Abas are found in shallow, swampy and well vegetated areas of the Nile, Chad, Volta, Senegal and Niger River basins. They have been known to grow to over five feet in the wild, but specimens over forty inches in captivity are rare.
Young Aba Abas (under 18) are very shy and delicate creatures. These should be housed alone in bare bottomed tanks with ample filtration. I housed my 6 one in a 75 gallon tank with 2 Emperor 400 filters, a sponge filter and a UV sterilizer. I did a 25% water change twice weekly. The tank had no substrate and one half of the tank was covered in fake plants and live Anacharis. The other half was left open.
I believe the most important factor in keeping young Aba Abas alive is to not stress them. I recommend putting their tank in a room with very little activity. Consistent 78-80 degree water seems to work well. I also believe firmly in not using a light on the tank unless you are cleaning it. These fish live in dark, murky environments and bright light is unnatural for them.
Some keepers have successfully housed them in very crowded aggressive community tanks. I have no experience keeping fish in this fashion so I cannot comment or provide educated feedback on this style of keeping them.
Young ones can eat small feeder fish, chunks of fish and shrimp, pellets, assorted worms and plant material. Mine still eats Anacharis regularly. They will eat daily and get really hungry at night. Mine will take pieces of fish from my hand every night at about 11:00 pm. He ignores me during the day but at feeding time he goes to the same spot and waits for his food.
Young ones, if fed properly can grow 1 per month up until they are around 18 long. At this point growth slows and they seem to get more territorial. Mine will kill feeder fish that he does not want to eat, presumably out of territoriality.
As they grow they need a tank large enough for them to patrol. My 24 specimen is housed in a 96 X 36 X 24 tank, that he may eventually outgrow. The tank is planted and contains a few rocks and a piece of PVC as a hide.
I feed mine fish or shrimp daily unless I give him feeders. I will then let him wait 2 or 3 days to digest the large meal. There is always Anacharis in the tank to tide him over between feedings.
The Aba Aba is the only fish I have ever known to get bored. He will get destructive, seemingly as a way to amuse himself. I noticed this when he was very young. He would re-arrange the tank regularly. Now he just destroys anything and everything. I eventually had to remove the sponge filter as he shredded it overnight.
I suppose these behaviors are a sign of intelligence. Mine will hide from people he does not know by hiding one eye behind a leaf. This must be the old If I cant see you, you cant see me logic. Mine recently figured out how to eat the Apple Snail that was in the tank with him. I am not likely to introduce another snail into the tank.
I am happy to answer questions to the best of my ability regarding these fish. I must say that large, aggressive fish that require their own, unlit tank are not for everyone. These fish can be fascinating and mysterious and I will likely always keep one.
